A non-profit organization dedicated to the eradication of all student loan debt through activism, education, and legislation;
because student loan debt is dangerous to the US economy and to the health and well-being of individual Americans and their families.
CRYN JOHANNSEN, Founder & Executive Director

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Student Loan Debt Crisis: How much student loan debt do you have?

How much do you owe in student loans?

Plus, here are a few more questions, that I hope you'll answer:

1) how many degrees do you have?

2) what school(s) did you attend (non-profit, for-profit, both)?

3) what did you study?

4) are you in default?

5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? If so, how much does s/he owe?

6) do you think you'll ever pay it off?

7) are you employed? If so, are you able to juggle all of your bills with your student loan debt?

8) do you live with your mom and dad? do you rent? do you live alone? do you own a home?

I went to Third Tier Drake to study law. I received a full-tuition scholarship, and I still incurred $37K in additional loans. My wife, armed with experience in her field plus a Master's degree, never earned more than $31K per year in salary.

How much do you owe in student loans: A little under $100,000, though with growing interest, it's probably up around there now.

1) how many degrees do you have?: I have a B.A. in studio art and an M.F.A. in Illustration (the terminal degree in my field).

2) what school(s) did you attend (non-profit, for-profit, both)?: I went to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, which is a private school and is technically 'non-profit', though I don't know what they do with all that money...they sure don't spend it on the students or facility.

3) what did you study?: Illustration. I also took courses in drawing, painting, computer art and art history. In my undergraduate school, I originally majored in Equestrian Studies, and got a minor in writing.

4) are you in default?: No. I am currently 'paying' under IBR. I say 'paying' because my debt-to income-ratio is so skewed that my monthly payment is $0.

5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? If so, how much does s/he owe?: I'm not in a relationship, I don't ever see myself as being in one. It wouldn't be fair to bring this much debt into a relationship.

6) do you think you'll ever pay it off?: No, and I doubt I'll make it the 25 years until forgiveness, either. I'm not very pessimistic about my future.

7) are you employed? If so, are you able to juggle all of your bills with your student loan debt?: I am self-employed as a freelance illustrator, and also teach adjunct courses at a college. None of it even puts a dent in my debt.

8) do you live with your mom and dad? do you rent? do you live alone? do you own a home?: I currently live at home with my father because I don't make enough to support myself. I did have my own place while I went to school, and living back at home for three years so far is a huge blow and I feel more useless than I've ever felt.

9) if you don't own a home, do you think you ever will?: No, never. I don't think I'll ever be able to rent an apartment. If I'm still alive by the time I'm 40, I'll probably still be here living with my father.

10) how have your student loans affected your life? : I'm depressed, hopeless, I have no feelings of contentment or fulfillment. Nothing makes me happy anymore, because I know I have no future.

Somewhere around $40,000. I haven't looked in a while though, it would give me a panic attack.

1)None. I'm left with debt from one year of school. I would be finishing my undergrad in May but before what would have been my sophomore year I was denied another loan. I was denied that loan because I was in debt. The debt that they had given me the year before with my first loan.

2)I went to Manhattan School of Music (non-profit).

3)Vocal Performance (ie- opera)

4)Yes, but in a sense I'm lucky as the state I live in doesn't allow private student loan banks to garnish wages here. I've just defaulted on the Federal loans so we'll see what happens with those.

5)Single. I can't bring someone else into my life right now with this much debt.

6)Not unless I win the lottery.

7)Yes. No.

8)I live with my parents.

9)Why would I want to? If I ever get out of debt I want the freedom to be where I want, not stuck in some place with a mortgage.

10)I can barely get out of bed in the morning, which results in my mom screaming at me to wake up (for the record, this doesn't help anything). I have happy moments but in the back of my mind all I'm thinking about is how to get out of this hell that I am in. I will never be truly happy or relaxed until the loans are gone and I have some freedom.

2) what school(s) did you attend (non-profit, for-profit, both)? Penn State

3) what did you study? English Literature

4) are you in default? no

5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? If so, how much does s/he owe? 25,000

6) do you think you'll ever pay it off? Not in this lifetime

7) are you employed? If so, are you able to juggle all of your bills with your student loan debt? Yes, but it severely limits my choices. The insidious thing about my loan is its effect on my credit rating. That makes life much harder, even without the payments on the loan, itself.

8) do you live with your mom and dad? do you rent? do you live alone? do you own a home? I own my own home, thanks to a USDA grant and the $8000 tax credit from a few years ago.

9) if you don't own a home, do you think you ever will?

10) how have your student loans affected your life? They have forced me to do work outside my field and to stay in a career that I absolutely HATE. As I said earlier, the worst thing is not the monthly payments--it is the effect on my credit. Sure, I can borrow money, but it's always at 18%-30%. Credit it a fact of life, and I've paid tens of thousands of dollars in consumer interest, just because I have student loans. I never never defaulted on credit of made a late payment, yet I am forced to pay usurious interest rates. I didn't think that I would ever be able to buy a house, but two years ago, I finally did that at the age of 41. Not being a homeowner meant paying more than a hundred thousand dollars in rent. It's the ripple effect of student loans that have made my life harder, not the principle.

2) what school(s) did you attend (non-profit, for-profit, both)? Penn State

3) what did you study? English Literature

4) are you in default? no

5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? If so, how much does s/he owe? 25,000

6) do you think you'll ever pay it off? Not in this lifetime

7) are you employed? If so, are you able to juggle all of your bills with your student loan debt? Yes, but it severely limits my choices. The insidious thing about my loan is its effect on my credit rating. That makes life much harder, even without the payments on the loan, itself.

8) do you live with your mom and dad? do you rent? do you live alone? do you own a home? I own my own home, thanks to a USDA grant and the $8000 tax credit from a few years ago.

9) if you don't own a home, do you think you ever will?

10) how have your student loans affected your life? They have forced me to do work outside my field and to stay in a career that I absolutely HATE. As I said earlier, the worst thing is not the monthly payments--it is the effect on my credit. Sure, I can borrow money, but it's always at 18%-30%. Credit it a fact of life, and I've paid tens of thousands of dollars in consumer interest, just because I have student loans. I never never defaulted on credit of made a late payment, yet I am forced to pay usurious interest rates. I didn't think that I would ever be able to buy a house, but two years ago, I finally did that at the age of 41. Not being a homeowner meant paying more than a hundred thousand dollars in rent. It's the ripple effect of student loans that have made my life harder, not the principle.

5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? If so, how much does s/he owe? Answer: No relationship I shared my situation with a prospect and for whatever reason the person choose to break up with me and is seeing another.

6) do you think you'll ever pay it off?Answer: Not in this lifetime given the powers in Congress of today.

7) are you employed? If so, are you able to juggle all of your bills with your student loan debt? Answer: Social Security Disability is all I have to live on. It is 15% short every month of the year.

8) do you live with your mom and dad? do you rent? do you live alone? do you own a home?Answer: I live with and help my 84 year old mom with her 50 year old autistic daughter. Because of my situation with the Department of Ed, the current economy, my disability, hiring practices of the day to name a few reasons. I'm unable to afford rent. And no longer qualify for HUD. I live alone in a room of the house.

9) if you don't own a home, do you think you ever will?Answer: No not until this country restores consumer protection for students retroactive to the day it was removed.

10) how have your student loans affected your life?Answer: I am unable to buy a home or a car. I am diabetic and can not afford proper food to support the diet I should be eating and medical supplies. I am living out the last days of my life helping a parent with a 50 year old daughter that is with autism. I'm at my wits ends and worry if I will be caring for this person while living on the street. I am blocked at having access to HUD housing because of the federal fund connection. I suspect a recent divorce I endured was due in part of this student loan. I feel I was bated into the "You need an education to get ahead" yarn. And even though I heard of discharging through bankruptcy I believed in myself to the point I refused to go there. I have a medical discharge for my loan signed by a M.D. licensed to practice medicine at the time. This discharge was rejected for the lack of dates that didn't know. Since then the form has changed, and has become more ambiguous by the year. I have taken up riding motorcycle's because I know it's dangerous and suspect one day I will be removed from my situation.

How much do you owe in student loans?Right now with interest, I owe 130,000

Plus, here are a few more questions, that I hope you'll answer:

1) how many degrees do you have?I have two bachelor's degrees.

2) what school(s) did you attend (non-profit, for-profit, both)?I attended SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music

3) what did you study?Vocal Performance and Music Business

4) are you in default?No, but I'm getting there

5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? If so, how much does s/he owe?Right now I'm single.

6) do you think you'll ever pay it off?No, honestly I don't.

7) are you employed? If so, are you able to juggle all of your bills with your student loan debt?Actually right now I'm trying to find out if it would be better to default, or if there's anything at all a bankruptcy lawyer can do for me. I know you can't discharge most student loans but there are some special circumstance things I want to look into. If not I'll mostly likely default.

8) do you live with your mom and dad? do you rent? do you live alone? do you own a home?I have to live with my parents, and they do not ask me for rent as they are helping me with everything.

9) if you don't own a home, do you think you ever will?I know I never will. My loans will either be paid, or my credit will be ruined but either way I'll never own a home.

10) how have your student loans affected your life? I thought I was doing the right thing going to school, and investing in my future. My parents weren't able to help me with college tuition/expenses much so I took out loans. When I graduated I expected my professors to support me not only in Graduate School but in getting a job in my field. As it turned out, when I went to get a job I had a professor who I had seen as a mentor give a bad recommendation. When I confronted them, it turned out to be not for my work ethic or performance but due to personal dislike on their end which I had been unaware of. So I had to make other arrangements on my resume. I tried to pursue other avenues but I come from a small town where there aren't many opportunites. I now work for Walmart because I knew I had to pay my loans, and try to just live. They take roughly 60% of my income so I can't save money, and I have no health insurance because I can't afford that either. I can barely stay afloat. I am not rich and neither are my parents, I do not drive a nice car, I do not have a good computer, and I definitely don't spend my money on anything other than gas, car insurance, loans, and sometimes clothes for work. Student loans haven't affected my life, right now they are my life.

Almost $200,000.00 and my husband owes almost $200,000.00. Together, almost $400,000.00. If we were in full repayment, this would cost us almost $4,000 a month in minimum payments. This exceeds our take-home pay. And no, we are not doctors.

1) I have a B.A. in Sociology and an M.A. in Educational Psychology. My husband has a B.S. and an M.S.

2) Both schools that I attended were state universities, in-state. One of which was Arizona State, whose in-state tuition rivals that of for-profit schools... and rising...

3) Sociology and Educational Psychology

4) As of now, no. Ask me again in a few months.

5) Yes. As I stated, my husband also owes $200,000.00

6) There is no chance. Sure wish I would have understood what I was getting into when I was 19.

7) I am not employed. I'm looking for work. We live off of my husband's salary. So no, I am not employed and no, we are not able to pay on our student loans with one salary.

8) We rent an apartment on the other side of the country from our family. We're trying to move back home so that we can at least try to make our minimum payments, but despite aggressive attempts to find jobs in their area for the last 10 months, we've been unable to and are still stuck paying about $1,700 a month for our one-bedroom apartment on the east coast. And this is a "good deal."

9) Not unless someone buys one for me and puts it in their name so that when I default, it can't be taken away from me... but that will never happen anyway so why dream?

10) I've developed insomnia, anxiety and depression. I cannot get out of bed in the morning without physical pain because I'm so depressed. I am on medication that only slightly helps take the edge off, but that has been difficult to afford. Even when it's sunny outside, I have such a dark cloud over me that it feels like it's dark. I don't enjoy anything anymore. Even good news is painful to me because I'm sad that I can't enjoy it. I feel like I've lost all hope. I have been suicidal for a while now. The only thing that keeps me living is that I don't want my poor husband to have to face his debt without my emotional support.

I feel like a failure. I just turned 30 today and I don't see having children as an option at any point in my life. My husband is 40 - he's never had children or a house, either. I'm afraid to answer the door, check the mail or look at my E-mail because I'm panicked that there will be bad news. I feel like I'm developing agoraphobia. I fear for my future - if I default and the banks can go after my retirement, bank accounts and social security, what will happen to me when I'm an elderly person? Will I have to live on the streets?

I am often angry. I'm angry I was scammed, angry that I've lost control of my life and angry that I'm a modern-day slave. There are a whole lot of people who do bad things - they steal, kill and spend irresponsibly. They all get second chances, but I do not because I went to college. I am angry because evil people have been allowed to lobby Congress and evil leaders of this country allowed themselves to be tempted and failed to protect students. Everything I went to school for is now out of my reach because I went to school.

Oh, and before you judge me, I got stuck with my ex-husband's loans, so my debt includes student debt for two people... not to mention the usurous interest that can quickly double, triple, or quadruple a loan in no time. My husband also went to flight school which is why his are so high. He graduated only to find out that major airlines in today's world hire pilots at $25,000 a year.

I owe somewhere between 120-140k. I stopped checking because it's too depressing.

1) 2 + trying to finish my PhD2) all 3 non-profit (not that you could tell by their tuition)3) history, history, and more history4) yes, on my one private loan because my lender refuses to recognize that I'm still in school, despite the fact that I also have Stafford loans with them and those loans are in deferment because I'm in school5) single6) honestly, no - these loans will hang over me until I die7) I'm still in school, but I'm taking a leave of absence next semester because I can't take this poverty much longer and want to work on paying off the defaulted private loan8) I'm moving home with my parents. I'm 35 years old. It is humiliating, but a financial necessity.9) I don't think I'll ever own a home. Who would give someone a mortgage with 150k in student loans? I'd never be able to pay what will basically be two mortgages a month.10) I used to rationalize that my student loans were worth the cost because my education will allow me to become a professor and do what I love. Yeah, right. Universities don't want tenure-track professors anymore. They want adjuncts, who serve as little more than minimum-wage teachers, driving themselves crazy trying to teach too many classes. Every time I see mail one of my lenders, I start to panic. The thought of going into repayment scares me. I'll never be able to afford it and lenders are willing to send you to collection, rather than to work with you to help you make payments.

How much do you owe in student loans: Approx. $73,000 now (only took out $24,000)1) how many degrees do you have?: I do not have any degrees.

2) what school(s) did you attend (non-profit, for-profit, both)?: All public universities. Aren't they all for profit regardless of tax status?

3) what did you study?: Mostly general studies courses taken. I didn't declare any major. I'd discovered I was an adult with ADD. A lot of courses were difficult for me and had to retake some. ADD wasn't recognize in the 90s as it is today.

4) are you in default?: Yes

5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? Yes - he owes $92,000 and growing. He took out about $30,000. It's a money pit. We wanted to pay for our children's college but can't.

6) do you think you'll ever pay it off?: No, I'm 40 yro now and it keeps growing.

7) are you employed? No

8) do you live with your mom and dad? NO do you rent? Yes do you live alone? NO do you own a home? NO - we did until we both lost our jobs after 2001 - has been hard to recover w/ 4 kids. 9) if you don't own a home, do you think you ever will?: No

10) how have your student loans affected your life? : Yes - I feel like I'm always on the run so they don't garnish my wages. Just recently lost my job and sad to think, at least I am relieved they can't garnish my wages.

2) what school(s) did you attend (non-profit, for-profit, both)? One for profit, one community/technical, one public university

3) what did you study? Gen Ed, Baking, Japanese, Anthropology

4) are you in default? not yet

5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? If so, how much does s/he owe? N/A

6) do you think you'll ever pay it off? Hell no

7) are you employed? If so, are you able to juggle all of your bills with your student loan debt? Employed yes, no way I can juggle my debt right now and I'm not even paying on loans yet.

8) do you live with your mom and dad? do you rent? do you live alone? do you own a home? Live with parents

9) if you don't own a home, do you think you ever will? nope

10) how have your student loans affected your life? I pretty much want to die, but I know that it won't make them go away. I am embarrassed and ashamed of myself everyday. I cry myself to sleep some nights because I'm horrified of how much college has cost me, and not just in dollar amounts.

2) what school(s) did you attend (non-profit, for-profit, both)? public universities

3) what did you study? science

4) are you in default? yes

5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? If so, how much does s/he owe? No

6) do you think you'll ever pay it off? not sure. I'm really hoping to take advantage of the public service program after so many years of payments.

7) are you employed? If so, are you able to juggle all of your bills with your student loan debt? yes, but I can barely do it. Loan repayments take up more than 50% of my takehome pay. I'm in default trying to rehabilitate my loans so that the Department of Ed doesn't garnish my pay, but I'm feeling like that might be a better (short term solution) than what I'm doing now.

8) do you live with your mom and dad? do you rent? do you live alone? do you own a home? on my own - I moved to a new city for a great job (post-doc) in my field. I rent a small apartment

9) if you don't own a home, do you think you ever will? No, I don't. I don't expect I ever will. As a result, I've modified my expectations of home ownership. I'm shooting for a mobile home, since they are much more affordable and financing is much like that of a car (and shorter termed).

10) how have your student loans affected your life? I feel overwhelmed. It's like I'm struggling and it sucks all of my attention and energy away from my job. Instead of focusing on how to do my job well and enjoy life, I worry more about how to earn a few hundred extra dollars each month. I feel like it's really robbing my soul from its purpose.

What is wrong with you people? I went to a school with a price tag in the neighborhood of $40,000 a year, and graduated with a liberal arts degree, and I still pay my loans every month on time. I worked hard in high school so I could graduate a semester early from college, got achievement-based scholarships and grants to help appreciably with college expenses, and took college loans out only to cover what remained. I also worked minimum-wage jobs until I managed to get a job in my field as a technical writer for the networking industry. I did it. You can, too. Spare me your whining.

Other than you collecting donations from students who are obviously in debt and asking 17 random questions. Do you take your donations and help the people on this website or are you just scamming money from people looking for help.I see you with your hand out and not offering scholarships or loans. Make this clear or I will be reporting you and this site for fraud.

How much do you owe in student loans: When I'm done it will be about $55,000

1) how many degrees do you have?: A B.A in History. MLIS (Library Science)2) what school(s) did you attend (non-profit, for-profit, both)?: I went to a non-profit state college for undergrad, but had to go out of state for grad school (Rutgers University) as I had NO IN STATE OPTION. Oh, I was also stupid to believe that it was a "top program" irrelevant.3) what did you study?: History, Library Science

4) are you in default?: No.

5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? If so, how much does s/he owe?: No

6) do you think you'll ever pay it off?: No. I don't think I'll survive the 25 years.

7) are you employed? If so, are you able to juggle all of your bills with your student loan debt?: yes, I make 8.50 an hour.

8) do you live with your mom and dad? do you rent? do you live alone? do you own a home?: I'm still in school but there is a 90+% chance I will be back in the same room I've lived in since elementary school

9) if you don't own a home, do you think you ever will?: No, don't plan on it. I try not to let it bother me. It sorta does, but the working class doesn't deserve such luxuries.

10) how have your student loans affected your life? : I feel like my life is ruined. I think about them all the time, and they have crushed any plans of having a life. No travel, fun, or retirement for me. Work serving my betters till I drop dead.

2) what school(s) did you attend (non-profit, for-profit, both)? Two in-state public non-profits

3) what did you study? international studies and international higher education administration

4) are you in default? NO!

5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? If so, how much does s/he owe? No

6) do you think you'll ever pay it off? Absolutely

7) are you employed? If so, are you able to juggle all of your bills with your student loan debt? Yes, I'm employed and I make enough to live comfortably in one of the most expensive places in the country AND pay off my debt (which is just my school loans)

8) do you live with your mom and dad? do you rent? do you live alone? do you own a home? I rent

9) if you don't own a home, do you think you ever will? Probably, when I settle down

10) how have your student loans affected your life? They only affected my life in that they helped me pay for my education. I chose to go to reasonably priced schools with good degree programs, and my master's was fully funded (as they ALWAYS should be. NEVER pay for your own graduate degree). I got into a field that I knew I could get a job in.

All the complaining on this page is strange as everyone here made the decision to go to expensive colleges, usually for low paying degrees. You are not suffering from debt from a medical condition or other uncontrollable factor. You CHOSE your debt. There is no reason why you should take out a $100,000 loan for an MFA. None. Own your mistakes, get two jobs, and start paying that shit back!!!

@Anonymous Oct 26 - first, no one here is "whining." The language you use is harsh and judgmental. It is great that you went to a reasonably priced school. In fact, most people with whom I advocate did the exact same thing, and yet aren't in your situation. In case you are unaware, we are in an economic depression, and that makes paying back loans difficult for millions of people.

As I have argued over and over again, we're facing a SYSTEMIC crisis, and one that needs to be fixed. With defaults worsening, it is clear that the problem is not about the individual, but about, as I already said, the SYSTEM. In fact, almost all the debtors I know wish to pay back their loans.

I encourage you to read more of my work. Also, stop blasting those with MFAs and people with degrees in the humanities - the debtors who come to this site graduated with all sorts of different degrees. On another note, we NEED people who have degrees in the humanities, just as much as we need people who majored in other things. But if you wish to hound those fields, go ahead - but it is enormously ignorant.

$0 - I had full rides/assistanceships all the way through and violated program rules by secretly working other jobs to make ends meet.1) how many degrees do you have?Three, beginning in 1997 and finishing in 2007.2) what school(s) did you attend (non-profit, for-profit, both)?Carson-Newman (BA), Northern Arizona University (MA), University of Tennessee.3) what did you study?Philosophy4) are you in default?No5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? If so, how much does s/he owe?$0 She has a BS (Carson-Newman) and MS (Walden). 6) do you think you'll ever pay it off?N/A7) are you employed? If so, are you able to juggle all of your bills with your student loan debt?Yes, we are both gainfully employed. The other part is N/A.8) do you live with your mom and dad? do you rent? do you live alone? do you own a home?Yes. 9) if you don't own a home, do you think you ever will? N/A10) how have your student loans affected your life? Not at all. But I have seen too many people's lives crushed by them. It is a major reason, on a larger scale, why the economy is stuck in the doldrums - both in the sense of people saddled with debt and also those who would be great in a profession that requires schooling but never go because of the cost. I made better decisions in that area than many young people because in my high school years I met several people crushed by student debt and was paranoid...so I was in a weird way lucky, coming into it with no illusions. It wasn't because I was smarter or more responsible.

2) what school(s) did you attend (non-profit, for-profit, both)? Art Institute International Minnesota, which, as far as I know, is a for-profit.

3) what did you study? Graphic Desgn

4) are you in default? Not yet, but that day is soon coming I'm sure.

5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? If so, how much does s/he owe? I'm single, and have lost all hope of finding anyone. Who would want to be a part of this nightmare?

6) do you think you'll ever pay it off? Nope, have given up hope on that as well.

7) are you employed? If so, are you able to juggle all of your bills with your student loan debt? I'm employed, but do not get paid nearly enough to live comfortably. The hell of it all is that if it weren't for student loans, I'd be more than fine financially.

8) do you live with your mom and dad? do you rent? do you live alone? do you own a home? I rent an apartment with two friends who are in the same exact boat.

9) if you don't own a home, do you think you ever will? Again, no hope. No home, no marriage, no kids. Ever.

10) how have your student loans affected your life? I'm miserable all the time. Have been steadily falling into a deep depression for a while now. I need to go to the doctor, as well as the dentist very badly, but don't because the thought of adding even more debt to the massive pile of student loans I have absolutely terrifies me. My health is going south and I can't afford to do anything about it. I'm always on the verge of a panic attack and I'm angry all the time. I've become bitter, resentful and hateful. I have lost 100% hope. My outstanding private loan balance is essentially back to the amount it was at when I started paying due to interest. I have not made even a scuff in my debt. Seeing the point to all of this is becoming very difficult.

How much do you owe in student loans?Right now with interest, I owe 45,000

Plus, here are a few more questions, that I hope you'll answer:

1) how many degrees do you have?2. I have a bachelor's and associate's. Ironically I use the associate's degree.

2) what school(s) did you attend (non-profit, for-profit, both)?Both. I went to University of Rhode Island and then Mount Ida college

3) what did you study?Bachelors of Art in Spanish LanguageAssociates of Mortuary Science

4) are you in default?No but I am on an income based repayment plan. Id have no shot at full payments.

5) if you're in a relationship, is your partner in debt, too? If so, how much does s/he owe?Right now I'm single. Not much money for dating in the monthly budget.

6) do you think you'll ever pay it off?Im plugging away but the interest accrues faster than I can pay it. There is a good chance this debt will not be paid in full (at least not the interest) before I die.

7) are you employed? If so, are you able to juggle all of your bills with your student loan debt?Fortunately I am. My salary before taxes is approximately equal to my debt. I am able to juggle it but its close...very close.

8) do you live with your mom and dad? do you rent? do you live alone? do you own a home?I rent a small apartment and live alone. I could probable save an extra hundred a month or so with a roommate but refuge from the outside world preserves my sanity. I figure mental health is an asset I need to invest in.

9) if you don't own a home, do you think you ever will?I dream of it but when 30% of my income after taxes goes back to student loans, home ownership is out of reach. I can say the same thing about starting a family.

10) how have your student loans affected your life? Well for starters its 48 degrees in my apartment as I type. Heat is just not in the budget.

But to answer your question in a broader sense, I deal with all the same meat hook realities that all other former students that cant afford their loans: I'll never be able to have a family, a marriage, a house. Much like everyone else I can't afford to start a business.But even beyond that, I am sick of being stigmatized as a second rate citizen due to my debt. I intend on paying it back we just need some relief from the interest.

I would love it if student loan forgiveness applied to me. I am graduating in a year and I'm afraid of the debt. I currently don't have a job to pay the minimum payback amount.Federal Student Loan Forgiveness

Do you need a Loan?Are you looking for Finance?Are you looking for a Loan to enlarge your business?I think you have come to the right place.We offer Loans at low interest rate.Interested people should please contact us onFor immediate response to your application, Kindlyreply to this emails below only:mohamendloanservice@gmail.com

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Cryn Johannsen

Cryn Johannsen, Founder and Executive Director of All Education Matters, Inc., is the author Solving the Student Loan Crisis: Dreams, Diplomas, and a Lifetime of Debt(New Insights Press, 2016; available now on Amazon inpaperback andKindle).

She has spent many years in academic environments, giving her an insider's understanding of the varying forms of educational institutions and how they function. Ms. Johannsen worked for an academic publishing company, but now advocates for individuals who are struggling or unable to pay off their student loan debt on Capitol Hill.

In addition to her previous employment, Ms. Johannsen has been a student at multiple levels at multiple institutions, beginning at a community college, graduating with honors from the University of Kansas, and receiving MAs from both the University of Chicago and Brown University (where she also participated in an exchange scholar program with Harvard). She is an experienced researcher and instructor, and has focused her own education on the study of History and the Social Sciences.

Ms. Johannsen is available to give talks and do workshops on this critical topic.

Ms. Johannsen's book has been reviewed by the New York Review of Books in Rana Foroohar's article "How the Financing of May Lead to Leader." In addition, intellectuals, such as Henry Giroux and Andrew Ross endorsed it.

This blog, All Education Matters, will be digitally archived by the Library of Congress in November of 2017.

About me

Author of Solving the Student Loan Crisis: Dreams, Diplomas & a Lifetime of Debt (New Insights Press) - now available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle.
Founder and Executive Director of All Education Matters(AEM), a 501(c)(4); I am a freelance journalist for The Huffington Post, The Loop 21, and Hypervocal. My work has appeared in USA Today, Truthout.org, The New England Journal of Higher Education, etc.
Recipient of journalism grant from the Economic Hardship and Reporting Project (EHRP) to cover a story about suicides and student loan debt (published by the Huffington Post and on the EHRP site; edited by Barbara Ehrenreich and Garvy Rivlin) - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/c-cryn-johannsen/student-loan-debt-suicides_b_1638972.html